


Never Have I Ever

by lazarusthefirst



Series: Five dumb peas in a dumb pod [6]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, Kissing, M/M, Secrets, Underage Drinking, drinking game, the gangsey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-03 23:42:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5311565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazarusthefirst/pseuds/lazarusthefirst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>’Noah what did you call them last week?’ Ronan asked, leaning over. ‘When you were talking about how feisty Gansey gets around Blue?’</p><p>Noah grinned. ‘Oh yeah - Salt and Pepper.’</p><p>Adam and Ronan laughed as Gansey rolled his eyes and Blue threw a bottlecap at Noah. ‘I don’t know what you’re laughing about,’ she said to Adam. ‘He calls you two Sugar and Spice.’</p><p>Ronan pointed to himself as Adam blushed. ‘I’m sugar, right?’</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Have I Ever

**Author's Note:**

> Nano is done and I am back in the trash where I belong
> 
> Di$cl@imerz: There's a parks & rec bit in this and I also used that one vine, whatever

It wasn’t every day your best friend got a scholarship to a college that wouldn’t break his back but wasn’t a “safety school”. After Gansey and Ronan got done patting Adam vigorously on the back, they rounded up Blue and Noah and went for a spin around Henrietta, windows down, system up, until their hair was windswept and their throats were hoarse from singing, laughing, and yelling at each other.

Blue didn’t know where Ronan produced such an amount of booze from on such short notice. Maybe he’d been stockpiling for the occasion. ‘There’s so much here,’ she marvelled, running her hands over the bottles Ronan and Gansey were cramming into Noah’s rucksack. ‘Will it all fit?’

‘That’s what she said,’ Noah quipped, who was slowly sagging under the weight on his back but looking cheerful about it. Blue raised her eyebrows at Gansey, who shrugged.

‘Yeah, he’s doing that now,’ he explained, grabbing another bottle. Blue could see mostly beer, but enough vodka to sink a ship of idiots. Her ship of idiots.

Adam was in the front seat of the BMW, humming along with the music and quickly skipping every second song (the murder squash song featured a stunning 14 times on that particularly CD). ‘You’re skipping all the best ones, Parrish,’ Ronan complained, shoving at Adam’s head through the open window. Blue had never seen Adam so content, except for that one time she’d looked out the window at Monmouth one night and seen Adam and Ronan lying on the roof of the BMW, apparently star-gazing, though Gansey had made her swear not to mention it or they’d stop doing it. Even from a distance, Blue could see that Adam’s face was the peaceful daydream of someone with not a care on their shoulders.

They drove back to Monmouth, loaded up on cups and snacks and a very impressive-looking sound system, and staggered as far back into the fields behind Monmouth as they thought would save them from noise complaints. Blue was staggering under the weight of two bags of crap that Ronan and Noah had deemed necessary. Gansey trotted up behind her and offered her a piggyback, as well as carrying his own load.

‘Are you sure?’ she said doubtfully. ‘You’ve got your own backpack.’

‘No problem,’ said Gansey. He swung his backpack around so it was on his stomach, then crouched down for Blue. ‘You’re gonna have to hang on though.’

Blue giggled as he rose, pretending to groan as he picked up her discarded bags. ‘Oh god, you’re so heavy,’ he said, staggering.

‘Am I?’

‘Nah,’ he said straightening. ‘Come on, or they’ll eat all the gummy bears.’

Blue tucked her chin on Gansey’s shoulder and smiled into the evening sun, just starting to make its way towards the horizon. The grass brushed the soles of her dangling feet, tickling her ankles, and the boys ahead were dark, almost obscured figures, wreathed in golden light.

The clearing Ronan led them to had the look of a well-used fire pit, and was surrounded by well-worn logs and soft boulders. Once everything was unpacked and scattered around, they looted the cooler. Blue grabbed whatever cold bottle she could get her hands on, never having had a beer before but excited to try. Ronan cupped the top of it in his hand and cracked the lid off for her using the big silver ring he wore on his middle finger. ‘Here you go, maggot,’ he said pleasantly. ‘Bottoms up.’

‘That’s what she said,’ called Noah, from where he was setting the vodka-filled backpack carefully down.

‘Hang on, we need a toast,’ Gansey said, predictably. Adam smiled as Gansey met his eyes across the fire pit, Noah and Ronan shouldering him good-naturedly. No one could give a toast like Gansey, but Blue could see the colour in his cheeks and the sparkle in his eyes, and knew he was more emotional than he was letting on. Once she’d thought that nothing could crack that composure. Now she knew of four somebodies who definitely could.

‘Even though it’s no surprise to anyone,’ he began, ‘our friend Adam is now on the path to ruling the world or destroying it, his choice.’

Adam rolled his eyes. ‘Gansey.’

‘It wasn’t an easy road,’ Gansey continued.

‘Especially not when you’re driving that piece of - ‘

‘Ronan, wait your turn,’ said Gansey, tipping the neck of his bottle at Ronan’s bright eyes, sternly. ‘Adam, you did us proud, you did yourself proud, and we couldn’t be happier for you. Just please, don’t forget us when you invent a supercar and decide that machines are superior to humans.’

‘You have got to stop talking to Noah after three AM,’ said Blue.

‘You’re making it sound like I think Adam has a car fetish,’ Noah protested. ‘I only said - ‘

‘Adam “car fetish” Parrish,’ Ronan finished. ‘Thanks Noah. Cheers.’ Adam groaned as they all laughed and clinked their bottles together. The beer was cold and fizzy going down. Blue wrapped her fingers around the neck and let Noah play with her hair, her leg resting against Gansey's. She saw how Adam's eyes would flicker to Ronan whenever he spoke, hanging on a little after everyone else had looked away. She saw how Noah and Ronan were touching - she'd been noticing that for weeks - and wondered how up for a drinking game everyone would be.

 

The beers loosened them up as they talked through various current events - like where they were on the Glendower hunt and whether Blue was getting a new step dad - so by the time they moved on to the hard stuff everyone was already pleasantly buzzed. Adam was feeling content and peaceful and less stressed than he’d probably ever been before. Noah seemed to have reached the end of his enthusiasm for that’s what she said jokes, but was still delighted by Gansey the flower king, a name bestowed upon him by Adam when Blue made Gansey a daisy chain crown.

‘It’s a good look for me,’ Gansey said, admiring it in the camera on his phone. ‘Thanks Jane. You can all shut up now, you’re just jealous.’

’Noah what did you call them last week?’ Ronan asked, leaning over. ‘When you were talking about how feisty Gansey gets around Blue?’

Noah grinned. ‘Oh yeah - Salt and Pepper.’

Adam and Ronan laughed as Gansey rolled his eyes and Blue threw a bottlecap at Noah. ‘I don’t know what you’re laughing about,’ she said to Adam. ‘He calls you two Sugar and Spice.’

Ronan pointed to himself as Adam blushed. ‘I’m sugar, right?’

‘Oh yeah, totally.’

Adam wasn’t technically embarrassed by any nickname - he’d definitely been called worse - but it was a bit awkward considering what he’d accidentally witnessed the other week. He'd been passed out on Gansey's bed after work but he'd been woken up by Chainsaw landing on his forehead, so he’d gone snooping and found Noah pushed up against Ronan's wall, pants undone, with Ronan's hands roaming with a purpose that made Adam blush more than the soft noises they were making. Adam couldn't see Ronan's face, just Noah's hands cradling the back of his skull, but then Noah had started to push against Ronan, nudging him back until he was lowering himself on to the bed, Noah straddling his waist.

Noah had bent over him, kissing him with a lazy familiarity, a smile curving his lips. Ronan leaned up into his touch, body responding to Noah's hands, his lips. His movements were more rushed, urgent, like he had something that he needed to get rid of fast. Noah was almost laughing at him, teasing him with his body. When Ronan made a little noise of desire against Noah's mouth, Noah started to grind his hips down against Ronan's crotch, leaning back away from Ronan's hungry mouth so he could watch him bite his lip and clutch Noah's thighs. By the time Adam had started to back away with a heavy feeling in his chest, Noah's hands had been moving towards Ronan's zipper.

Remembering that now brought another blush to Adam's face, and he buried his face in his drink to avoid notice. Ronan had kicked out playfully at Noah, and now his leg was still just kind of resting against Noah's like it wasn't a big deal. Maybe it wasn't for Noah if he was making up couple names for him and Ronan - for _Adam_ and _Ronan_ \- but Adam couldn't forget that hungry look on Ronan's face.

‘Let’s play a drinking game,’ Noah suggested, predictably. ‘Let’s play Never Have I Ever.’

This was Noah’s favourite game, whether they were drinking or not. Usually he whipped it out whenever he’d caught someone doing something they shouldn’t, and wanted to announce it to everyone without technically _telling_ everyone and getting called a rat. Like the time Gansey had been throwing a fit over someone eating the last tin of tuna and not replacing it, and Noah had materialised in the middle of everyone and said ‘Never have I ever used the last of the tuna trying to make a special birthday meal for a bird,’ then disappeared, leaving Ronan to run to his car before Gansey could kill him or cry.

‘Blue, you can start,’ said Gansey graciously. ‘Since you’ve never played before.’ Adam was immediately worried. Blue was dangerous.

‘Never have I ever worn pink,’ said Blue, after thinking about it for a moment.

‘That’s not even a good one,’ Ronan complained. Gansey drank immediately. Adam had a think about it before keeping his cup down. All of his clothes had been hand-me-downs from his father as soon as he'd hit puberty. Noah drank, saw that Ronan wasn't, then gave him a meaningful look. Ronan blinked, then had a look of dawning realisation and drank too.

‘Knew it,’ grinned Blue. ‘And what was that look?’ Adam rolled his eyes, smirking. She was always two steps ahead.

Gansey sat up straight. ’Is about the pink panties - sorry Jane - the pink underwear Blue and I found in the kitchen last week?'

Ronan ran a hand over the crown of his head, looking only a little embarrassed. Noah just looked delighted. 'This is a great game,' he said.

'Go back to the pink underwear,' Blue insisted.

'Never have i ever worn anything secondhand,' Adam said hastily, and chugged half his drink, Blue joining him. The others kept their cups down, Blue called them all rich bitches, and the moment passed. Or so Adam thought.

'Gansey your turn,' she said, turning promptly to where Gansey was sitting cross-legged beside her and giving him a meaningful look. It took Gansey all of two seconds to interpret it.

'Never have I ever worn women's underwear.'

'Fuck you," said Ronan, aiming a finger at Blue as Noah snorted into his drink. 'And you,' he added to Gansey, who was grinning shamelessly.

'Tell the story!' Gansey insisted.

Blue began chanting "story, story, story" until finally Ronan snapped 'Oh my god look it was one time', and the two fell on top of each other laughing.

'Ronan and I,' said Noah conspiratorially, 'once found a pair of pink underwear in the back of James Everett's car.'

'What were you doing in the back of James Everett's car?' asked Gansey, interestedly.

Ronan rolled his eyes at him. 'What do you think, Gansey,' he said.

Adam's mind immediately leapt to somewhere it shouldn't have until Gansey told Blue 'James grows weed in his mothers greenhouse,' and he remembered that Noah liked to get stoned now. He said it helped him to feel things more. Adam hadn't known Ronan went along too, but then it shouldn't surprise him that they were doing more things together.

'Anyways,' Noah went on, ignoring Ronan's disgruntled look. 'I took them home, then bet Ronan he couldn't go five for five up the ramp and over the Pig without drawing blood. He ate shit on the fourth - '

'You took a skateboard over my fucking car _four times_?' demanded Gansey indignantly.

'Your car's a piece of shit Gansey, unclench,' Ronan said acidly.

'And the forfeit was he had to wear the pink things to school the next day,' Noah finished.

'You wore them to school?' Adam asked, forgetting to be embarrassed in his astonishment. Ronan shrugged like it was nothing, but he was definitely avoiding looking at anyone in particular.

'Don't forget to drink, Ronan,' Blue said delicately. Ronan glared at her over the rim of his cup as he did so.

'How did they feel?' Gansey asked, leaning forward like he was asking a question in class. Blue raised her eyebrows at him; Adam hoped desperately that she wouldn't derail the conversation again. He really wanted to hear Ronan's answer.

'They're made of the same stuff ours are,' Ronan said frankly. 'It wasn't a magical experience.'

Noah was laughing again. 'He said, he said - ' he paused to take a drink. 'He said everything was a bit squashed, but pleasantly soft.'

'That's not how I worded it,' Ronan pointed out as Blue and Gansey snorted. Even Adam was smiling now. 'But I guess squashed is the word, if you really want a visual.'

And oh god did Adam have a visual.

Noah was drinking more than all of them, but it was just for show since he couldn't really get drunk. Adam had a feeling that Blue's buzz was affecting him though. He might even have been drawing on all of their energies, because he was definitely showing signs of being tipsy. Ronan was laughing quietly at him as he refilled his cup, and Adam was struck by the expression on his face; loose, relaxed, despite the ribbing he was getting from "Salt and Pepper". Normally when Ronan drank it was zero to a hundred real fast, his only purpose to forget and sleep without dreams. Ronan hadn't said any of this, but Adam knew what it was like to want to banish your memories.

But this was Ronan drinking socially, keeping pace with his friends, aiming to actually enjoy himself. At least, that's what the rest of them were doing. Adam was less familiar with having free time and choosing to spend it relaxing with alcohol, so he couldn't be certain how Ronan was feeling about it.

'Ronan's turn,' Noah said softly, eyeing him. Ronan scratched the stubble on his jaw idly, a dangerous look in his eyes, and suddenly everyone was regretting going after him. Adam wondered who he had in his sights.

'Never have I ever,' he said deliberately, 'thought about Blue - accidentally or deliberately - while jerking off.'

There was a beat of miserable silence as Blue blinked in shock and outrage.

'Shit," Gansey said simply.

'Goddamn,' Noah muttered.

'You're such a prick,' Adam said.

Ronan shrugged. 'I'm not the one drinking.'

'That's because you're - ' Blue broke off as Ronan raised his eyebrows at her. They had a silent standoff as the other three boys drank as inconspicuously as they could.

'Never have I ever - ' Blue began.

'It's not your turn.'

'Never have I ever,' she repeated, raising her voice. 'Thought about any boy here - accidentally or deliberately - while jerking off.'

She and Ronan determinedly held eye contact as both raised their cups to drink. This was too much for Gansey, who had to get up and walk around. Adam wasn't sure if he was reacting to Blue or Ronan the most but he was willing to bet it was Blue, who didn't look half as embarrassed as Adam would have in her situation. But Blue was always braver than he was.

Noah was looking at Ronan curiously. 'Was it...' He trailed off, indicating himself just a little.

Ronan only shrugged. 'Might have been,' he replied. Blue smiled ruefully, swirling the alcohol around in her cup. An impasse, for now.

'Right,' said Gansey loudly, sitting back down. 'This has been - just so much. Pass the vodka.'

Things got a little messy after that. Noah was particularly dangerous - he seemed to know everyone's secrets - and the game quickly morphed into a game of ruin your friends lives. Adam had always assumed that living in each other's pockets meant they all had little to no secrets from each other, but he was so, so wrong. They all had secrets - it was just unfortunate that they'd all been shared, at least once.

'Never have I ever accidentally called Barrington Whelk "dad".'

'That's tasteless, Noah,' Gansey snapped before drinking. 'He held a gun to my head, remember?'

'Did that result in any latent daddy issues, Gansey?' Ronan asked seriously. Blue tried very hard to turn her laugh into a cough, but Gansey turned a very appealing shade of pink anyways.

'Never have I ever gotten stuck in the floor trying to do the fake walking down stairs thing.'

'You promised you wouldn't tell, Adam,' Noah pouted, drinking.

'Never have I ever Austin Powers'd my car between the school wall and a Lexus, and scraped both trying to get out.'

'Et tu, Gansey?’ Adam said sadly, taking a drink as Ronan and Noah cackled.

'Never have I ever poured glitter into Gansey's shampoo.'

'Blue ruins everything,' snapped Ronan, ducking the shoe Gansey threw at his head.

'He was so sparkly,' Noah remembered fondly. 'For, like, weeks.'

'Never have I ever borrowed my mother's favorite lacy - uh, underthing - ripped it accidentally, and buried it in the garden rather than admit it.'

'You godless child,' Ronan said, acting scandalised.

'I'm never touching you again,' Blue told Gansey before taking a tiny sip. Gansey slithered down until his head was in her lap, whining apologies while everyone groaned and laughed at him.

The more they drank, the raunchier things got. Everyone was dying to know the ins and outs of Blue's kiss curse, which meant both she and Gansey were doing a lot of drinking and blushing.

‘Never have I ever seen a penis in real life.’

‘Never have I ever touched a penis.’

‘Never have I ever _thought_ about touching a penis.’

‘Ronan and Noah should both be drinking too,’ Blue protested.

Gansey laughed, then frowned. ‘Wait, why Noah?’

‘Never have I ever thought Noah and Ronan were doing it on the sly,’ Adam said quietly, surprising himself. He drank deeply, refusing to look at Ronan. 'Gansey, you’re not drinking.’

‘How can you be so out of the loop in your own home?’ Blue asked Gansey critically.

Gansey shrugged blithely, swaying slightly. ‘Tonight has been very educational.’

‘Never have I ever spied on my friends having sex,’ Ronan said.

‘And it continues to be so,’ whispered Gansey, very deliberately not touching his cup.

Everyone looked at Adam, who went red but said defensively ‘I didn’t do it on purpose! Never have I ever put on a deliberate show because I _knew_ my friend was watching.’

‘Touche,’ murmured Ronan, raising his cup. He didn’t take his eyes off Adam the whole time. Adam watched his throat bob as he swallowed.

‘I feel so used,’ Noah said, wrinkling his nose. ‘Never have I ever cried watching _Pride and Prejudice_.’

‘Oh disappear, Noah,’ Ronan said grumpily, taking a drink. ‘It was allergies.’

‘No it wasn’t, I was there,’ Gansey grinned. ‘Best English class we’ve ever had.’

Ronan raised an eyebrow. ’Never have I ever cried watching _Keeping Up with the Kardashians_.’

Gansey’s expression fell. ‘Caitlin went on an _emotional journey_ and it was a very well edited episode.’

Adam managed to avoid most of the shots, mainly because he’d done nothing interesting in his life ever. Ronan and Gansey produced some truly amazing stories from before Adam had known them, usually involving alcohol and cars and questionable logic. Blue knew things about Gansey - and by extension Ronan, since Ronan was one of Gansey’s favourite topics of conversation - that had Adam and Noah doubled up laughing at their expense, and she was lethal with her takedowns. Soon even Ronan was avoiding going after her, but Noah either never learned or didn't care.

‘Never have I ever made out with another boy on Gansey’s bed,’ Noah said, staring pointedly at Blue with a shit-eating grin on his face. Blue drank directly from the bottle as Gansey made a noise of outrage.

‘Blue!’ he said indignantly. ‘When?’

‘Relax, it was when I didn’t like you,’ she said, eyes slightly unfocused.

‘So when you were with me?’ Adam asked, just to tease her.

’No!’ she exclaimed. ‘Or - was it?’ She shook her head drunkenly. ‘Listen, Ronan just took a drink and no one saw. Let’s talk about that.’

Gansey aimed a stern and very unsteady finger at Ronan. ‘I swear to god,’ he said. ‘I don’t come into your room with Blue - you fucking terrible friend - ‘

‘Chainsaw shit on my mattress and it was an emergency,’ Ronan said, who was finally starting to slur his words. His high tolerance for alcohol was no match for Blue out for revenge. Then he paused. ‘Just out of interest, would you be more annoyed if it was in your car? Because - ’

‘I’ll kick you out,’ Gansey said. Blue leant against his shoulder, shaking with laughter. ‘I’ll do it.’

‘Nah, you won’t,’ Ronan smiled, leaning back against the log.

‘Probably not,’ Gansey agreed, resting his head on Blue’s. ‘You’re too interesting.’

Noah looked at Ronan coyly. ‘Never have I ever done it on the hood of my friend’s car,’ he said quietly. Ronan silently shushed him, but smirked as he drank. Adam looked away, suddenly feeling too drunk.

‘Never have I ever needed to puke so much in my life,’ he muttered, standing up and staggering away. Gansey and Blue were talking quietly amongst themselves, and Adam presumed it was time to leave both couples to it. He hadn’t entered the evening expecting to be leaving two couples behind him, but he supposed he deserved it for assuming that no one else could ever want Ronan. Of course Noah would want him. Aglionby boys - dead or not - always got the very best.

Adam wandered away between the trees, not really wanting to get sick but not liking the burning feeling in his chest. It occurred to him that it might not have been the alcohol - the image of Ronan and Noah was still on his mind, as it had been for weeks - but he didn’t know what to do about it but sit down against a tree and hope it went away. Realistically, he knew that Ronan and Noah weren’t really together together. Noah was many things, but a steady boyfriend was not one of them. And Ronan didn’t do casual relationships. It had to be just sex. Adam burned with envy, and hated himself for it. He was used to not getting what he wanted, to seeing the best go to others before him, no matter how hard he worked. Noah was dead, for fuck’s sake. If anyone deserved some fun casual sex, it was him. Adam was just mad at himself for not realising how badly he wanted Ronan until he couldn’t have him.

He could hear someone moving through the trees. The steps were too heavy for Blue, too steady for how drunk Gansey was. Noah never made any noise when he moved. Adam raised his head in time to see Ronan duck under a branch, the moonlight catching his face on one side and leaving the other in shadow. He had a bottle in his hand.

‘You missed Blue absolutely hang Gansey for trying on Calla’s lipstick,’ he said, kicking Adam’s foot lightly. ‘He said he did it because it was called “midnight wanderer” and it appealed to him.’

Adam snorted. ‘Course he did. Was it the purple one?’

Ronan sat down heavily beside him. ‘Yep.’

Adam laughed again, hoping Blue had gotten a picture. ‘Are they still going?’

Ronan shook his head. ‘Nah,’ he said, raising the bottle. ‘I confiscated this. Gansey refuses to acknowledge limits, but what else is new.’

’That’s very sensible of you, Ronan,’ Adam said, taking the bottle from him and drinking. The vodka was unmixed and stung his tongue.

‘I just had visions of Gansey in hospital getting his stomach pumped and having to dodge literal bullets from Helen,’ Ronan said. ‘Or Blue. Blue would be worse. She’d aim for the groin.’

‘Helen’s a headshot kind of woman,’ Adam agreed. ‘No messing.’

They drank in silence for a few minutes.

‘Noah still around?’ Adam asked lightly.

Ronan glanced at him, then shook his head. ‘Nope. Disappeared in a puff of glitter. But not before he dropped Gansey in it again. Did you know Gansey actually hates food cooked with butter? Blue did not.’

Adam let his head fall back as he laughed, thinking about Gansey forcing down all the meals Maura had cooked for him. When he straightened up again, Ronan leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth.

The shock momentarily sobered Adam. He blinked at Ronan, who was watching him with an unreadable expression. ‘Why did you do that?’ he asked, drunken brain unable to sound any fucking better than that.

Ronan lowered his gaze slightly. ‘Noah and I fuck around because it’s fun,’ he said. ‘Noah gets bored and disconnected and he’s fun, ok. It’s not weird, but it doesn’t mean anything. It’s just something to do.’

Adam was struggling with the concept of sex as just “something to do”, especially when applied to Ronan. ‘Is it not awkward afterwards?’ he asked.

Ronan shrugged a little. ‘No,’ he said honestly. ‘It’s Noah, man. Fuck, I don’t know. He’s hot, he knows his way around.’ They were laughing now, just a little, at the absurdity of their weird glitter ghost knowing his way around a dick. ‘I’m not a strong man, Parrish.’

‘That’s not true,’ Adam murmured. Ronan paused, looking at him funny, then leaned in again. Adam let their lips brush just once before pulling back.

‘Ronan,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m not Noah.’ ‘No shit,’ Ronan said. ‘I’m drunk, I’m not an idiot.’ His tone was harsher than his voice, and Adam could tell he was a little angry. This was usually par for the course with Ronan, but he’d thought tonight Ronan had been a more mellow.

‘I meant,’ he said. ‘I don’t fuck around. Even if it’s fun. Not unless it means something.’ He felt embarrassed admitting this, given how hard he’d gone after Blue. But, he thought, he’d thought at the time that he'd been in love with Blue.

Ronan was still looking at him. ‘So I don’t mean anything?’ he asked quietly. Something in his voice hooked right around Adam’s heart and pulled, almost pulled him right forward before he caught himself.

‘Noah’s fun,’ Ronan repeated. ‘But he’s not you. Before tonight, I never thought you’d let me anywhere near you.’ Adam said nothing, but his pulse was racing. Ronan leaned in closer, their legs and arms pressed close. ‘Tell me I’m wrong.’

Adam shivered but didn’t say anything. His whole body wanted Ronan, had wanted him for ages, to the point where it was literally hard to be around him. Adam had found himself deliberately ignoring Ronan lately, just to get through the day, which was a shitty way to be around your friend even if you didn’t want to jump him. Tonight had been a wonderful release - but he’d never planned on being here.

Ronan’s breath ghosted over his skin. ‘Tell me I’m wrong, Adam.’

A spark jumped from Ronan’s skin to Adam’s, and the wind played around his hair like a whispered urge. He couldn’t resist, he had to have him. Adam leaned in and kissed Ronan hard, before he lost his courage.

What he hadn’t anticipated was the little sigh of sheer relief and pleasure Ronan let out as they touched, his hand reaching up to Adam’s face, his neck. He took control, lips soft against Adam’s, and Adam's limbs stopped shaking. His heart was still beating furiously against his chest, but instead of the anxiety he’d been expecting, there was a fire coursing through his veins, lighting everything up from within. Adam wouldn’t have been surprised if his skin started glowing.

Ronan’s hands were surprisingly gentle, his mouth softer than Adam could have dreamed. He was firm and in control, but when Adam pushed he gave easily, lying back on the ground as Adam climbed on top of him, wanting desperately to press their bodies together, to feel Ronan everywhere. They kissed until their lips were red, until Ronan had teased every knot of tension from Adam’s body and left him pliant and writhing beneath him on the ground. He whispered against Adam’s skin things that were meant just for him, things that made his heart sing and his dick throb. Adam had always thought himself fairly reserved and in control, but when Ronan whispered against his neck that he wanted to fuck him until he saw stars, Adam would have let him do it right then and there. He wrapped his legs around Ronan’s waist, grinding up against him, not sure if he was trying to get Ronan to fuck him or what, but desperate for something. Ronan bit hot kisses on to Adam’s skin, sucking mercilessly on his neck until bruises bloomed there, and then he kissed them one by one and told Adam he was perfect.

Their hands linked together on either side of Adam’s head as they licked into each other’s mouths, noses bumping and teeth clacking while they figured each other out, mapping each other’s bodies with heated touches. This wasn’t how he’d thought Ronan would be, Adam thought distantly in the back of his mind. He wasn’t acting like he needed to get rid of something quick. Ronan lingered on every inch of Adam that he touched, drawing out their kisses, pulling at his lip, and running his hands under Adam’s shirt like he’d never get another chance.

They were horny and very drunk, and Adam wasn’t sure who came first but it wasn’t as gross as he’d thought it would be, considering they hadn’t even managed to unzip.

After a few moments of dazed afterglow Ronan sat up, gently pulling Adam up with him, hands linked together still. They sat practically on top of each other, kissing softly and touching one another. Adam felt half out of his own body, more drunk on Ronan than alcohol. The fact that he could reach up and touch his face, trace his lips with his fingers and press them against his own, had Adam’s head spinning. He could feel Ronan smiling against his lips. The ground was dry beneath them, the heat of the day gone from the leaves but now warmed by their bodies. Ronan sat with his back to the log and Adam between his legs, leaning back against him. Their fingers were interlocked on Adam’s chest and Adam could feel Ronan tracing Adam’s with his own, holding them like he’d once held his baby bird. Adam could only feel, not see. He was craning back to look at Ronan, kissing him whenever he felt like it.

Surely there was some kind of catch, the miserable part of his brain insisted. There must be something he’s not considering.

‘I’ve wanted you for so long,’ Adam whispered against Ronan’s lips, then flinching as he heard how that sounded. Ronan’s hands tightened over Adam’s, and he drew his arms more tightly around him.

‘You’re all I’ve ever wanted,’ he replied. Adam closed his eyes, letting that wash over him. Ronan always told the truth. Adam shivered, and Ronan pressed a kiss to his temple.

‘Do you think Gansey will notice if I stay in your room tonight?’ Adam asked quietly, a little while later. He felt Ronan laughing against his back and his own lips tugged up in a smile he couldn’t possible refuse at that sound.

‘Adam,’ Ronan said - would he ever get used to hearing Ronan say that? Like it was something special? - ‘It’s Gansey. I’m confident we could have sex on his bed while he’s in the room and he wouldn’t notice unless one of us was wearing a crown or a dress that’s been stitched together from curtains.’

This was a joke, and Adam was amused, but his brain had rather shut off after “we could have sex”.

Ronan paused. ‘Are you thinking about having sex on Gansey’s bed?’

‘I’m thinking about having sex with _you._  On Gansey’s bed.’

Ronan laughed again. ‘Next time we play “never have I ever”, you’ll be drunk after five minutes.’

Adam snuggled down against Ronan. ‘Can’t wait,’ he said, bringing one of Ronan’s hands to his mouth and pressing his lips against his knuckles. A tremor ran through Ronan’s body as Adam’ took one of his fingers into his mouth.

A significant time later they managed to wander back to the fire pit. Noah was back and snuggled up under Gansey’s jacket. Blue was awake and looked mostly sober. She eyed the two of them knowingly, but to her credit only smiled and said nothing, looking tired but fairly steady. Adam shouldn't have been surprised that she could handle her alcohol. Blue could handle anything.

Gansey was a totally different story.

‘I thought you took the bottle?’ Adam said to Ronan as they watched their friend struggle to get up, staggering left and right like he was on a boat.

‘I went to pee,’ Blue said. ‘And when I came back, he’d found another. I think there have been a few too many revelations for him tonight.’

‘I wonder which one broke him?’ said Adam interestedly, as he and Blue packed up their stuff. The sky was beginning to lighten in the east, and things were getting a little colder as dew began to settle on the grass. Noah woke up as they shuffled around him while Gansey went the opposite direction, collapsing on to his back and refusing to be moved.

‘This is why we have Ronan,’ Noah mumbled, leaning on Blue. Ronan sighed and leaned down, hauling Gansey over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Adam didn’t fail to notice rather proudly that he did it all without staggering or looking in any way inconvenienced.

‘There’s nothing to him,’ Ronan admitted. ‘He’s as scrawny as Blue. Two little maggots.’

Blue only yawned, her arm around Noah. Adam shouldered most of the bags as Ronan secured Gansey over his shoulder, and they made their slow way out of the field.

Gansey woke up about half way back to Monmouth and started singing, to general astonishment, the murder squash song. Noah took out Ronan’s phone and walked ahead of them to video it, then behind to get Gansey’s face. Blue had a hand over her eyes. Ronan was singing along. And Adam was just laughing quietly, watching his friends, watching Ronan.

‘Never have I ever seen such future regret,’ Blue said quietly, as Monmouth towered in the distance.

‘Never have I ever been so thankful for camera phones,’ Noah said. ‘You know we didn’t have these when I started? You whippersnappers should be grateful.’

‘Shut up, Noah,’ Ronan said. ‘I take it back. Never have I ever carried such a heavy, useless, rich asshole who can’t hold his alcohol.’

‘Never have I ever have I ever ever,’ hiccuped Gansey, ‘loved Blue sooooo muuuch.’

’Never have I ever been so glad to see this ugly building,’ said Adam, grinning at Ronan as the others laughed.

‘You’re all uninvited,’ Gansey slurred. ‘Blue only, only Blue.’

‘Go to sleep, Gansey,’ Blue said.

Noah disappeared to unlock the door for them. Adam stooped to catch Gansey’s phone as it fell from his hand, and Gansey smiled benevolently and patted Adam's cheek when he saw. He was still wearing Blue's daisy crown. The sun rose against their backs as the front door of Monmouth opened before them, with only a small dusting of glitter on the doormat.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [tumblr](http://thetrojeans.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](http://twitter.com/lazarusthefirst/)


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